BBW Cappaghwhite Map 2021

The Multeen Way Slí An Moiltín Donohill Cappaghwhite Upperchurch Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare and the Beara-Breifne March Cappaghwhite – Donohill In 1602 Munster was ravaged by war. The English forces of Elizabeth I had defeated the Irish and Spanish at the Battle of Kinsale and advanced to capture Donohill Motte the territory of Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare, Chieftain of Beara. With many Walking Irish chiefs in submission to the English crown, O’Sullivan Beare’s continued This 3 to 4 hour walk leaves the road just outside the village of Cappaghwhite and heads in a southerly support for the Irish cause and loyalty to Philip II of Spain was a last barrier direction across country on tracks and paths. It passes through Greenfield Nature Park, and eventually joins to English ambitions to secure crown rule in Munster. the R497 road just as it passes Donohill Motte and enters the village. The highest point on this route is O’Sullivan Beare’s main stronghold was Dunboy Castle, overlooking the 150m. The difficulty on this route is rated as easy. harbour of Berehaven. In June 1602, after an eleven-day siege, English forces breached the walls of Dunboy, killed its last defenders, and forced the local Cycling population into submission. O’Sullivan Beare and an army of supporters This 12 kilometre section of the cycling route leaves Cappaghwhite on the R505, crossing the famous Iron withdrew to the Coomerkane Valley, near Glengarriff, and launched guerrilla Mills Bridge before reaching the village of Annacarty. Here it turns southwards on old roads and eventually attacks on their enemies. joins the R497 road just as it passes Donohill Motte and enters the village. Following a siege, the English army struck a blow at O’Sullivan Beare and captured his herd of 4,000 sheep, Country code for Walkers Irish Rapparee 2,000 cattle, and 100 ponies. The loss of supplies of milk, butter and meat, as well as essential pack animals, made it impossible to remain in the valley. • Respect farmland and the rural environment. • Do not interfere with livestock, crops, machinery or Cappaghwhite – Upperchurch other property. On New Year’s Eve 1602, faced with almost certain starvation, O’Sullivan Beare fled with 400 fighting men and • Do not light any fires, especially near forests. • Leave all farm gates as you find them. 600 camp followers: women, children, servants, and porters. About 1,000 men and women embarked on an epic • Always keep children in close control and supervision. march northwards. • Please ensure you have good hiking footwear & rain gear. Walking • Keep away from livestock along the trail. • Carry a mobile phone and inform someone about your This 6 to 7 hour section of the walk leaves Cappaghwhite heading north through Raparee country, O’Sullivan Beare was counting on his ally, O’Rourke of Breifne, to provide refuge at Leitrim Castle, 300 kilometres intended itinerary. associated with the Irish Raparee outlaws of the seventeenth century. The tracks climb up to 440 metres to the north. Travelling through Ireland at a time of war and severe food shortages, they were often attacked by • Do not enter farmland if you have dogs with you. • Always use gates, stiles or other recognised access into the Red Hills, from where there are impressive views into seven counties. Continuing on mountain points, avoid damage to fences, hedges and walls. local chiefs who viewed them outcasts. The need to stay ahead of their enemies meant that they were often unable paths, the route drops down across the Hollyford Valley, but does not enter the village, which is to the east. to bury their dead or carry off their wounded. Women carried infants and many of the camp followers could not • Take all litter home. • Take special care on country roads. It passes through the townland of Losset, before climbing again over the hills of the townland of Barna with keep up. By the time they reached the River Shannon, their numbers had dropped to between 300 and 400. • Avoid making unnecessary noise. • Protect wildlife and plants and trees. remarkable views of the surrounding countryside. The walk then descends once more and crosses the • Take heed of warning signs they are there for R497, passing just to the west of the village of Milestone. It continues on mountain tracks until it turns right With enemies on either side of the river they crossed at night in a boat made of the skins of twelve slaughtered your protection. on an old road that leads into the village of Upperchurch. The highest point on this route is 440m. The horses, the meat almost certainly eaten by the starving in the camp. Two days later, at Aughrim, their path was • If following a recognised walking route keep to the waymarked route. difficulty on this route is rated as moderate. blocked by English-led cavalry and infantry. O’Sullivan Beare’s camp had no choice but to fight. Against all odds, • Immediately report any damage caused by your the exhausted army of refugees defeated greatly superior forces but were unable to rest. They had to travel a 20 actions to the farmer or landowner. • Do not block farm entrances when parking. mile detour during the night to escape further attack. As the Connaught mercenaries among O’Sullivan Beare’s Cycling camp began to disappear and return home, the remaining refugees were continuously threatened. This 22 kilometre section of the cycling route follows a quiet country road as it rises on the shoulder of the Red Hills, with views down to the Multeen River, and wanders into the village of Hollyford, joining up with On the fourteenth day, O’Sullivan Beare reached Leitrim Castle. Out of the original 1,000 followers, only thirty the R497 at Metal Bridge. From Hollyford, the route follows an old road in the middle of the valley leading five remained. northeastwards and winding upwards along the shoulder of Glenough, before bearing left and rejoining the y R497 travelling towards Milestone. The route bypasses the village and continues in a northeasterly direction a W joining the R503 towards Upperchurch, with views of the Owenbeg River and Knocklough mountain range, n e lte and finally turns left to enter the village. The Beara-Breifne and the Multeen Ways u / M y a W The Beara-Breifne Way follows the fourteen-day march taken by Donal e n O’Sullivan Beare and 1,000 supporters in 1603. The route, the longest in if re B - Ireland, runs almost the length of the country and takes the walker and a r a cyclist to some of its most beautiful and least explored areas: along the e B coast of the Beara Peninsula, across six mountain ranges, along the banks of the River Shannon and through the lake regions of Roscommon and Leitrim. 1.1 A striking example of an early motte amongst these was Eamonn an Chnuic, Ireland’s The landscape contains an extraordinary variety of heritage sites - prehistoric KEY TO SYMBOLS and bailey defensive structure, Donohill Motte own Robin Hood. features, castle ruins, and religious and battle sites – many of which bear was famously raided for food supplies by Information Postbox witness to the march of 400 years ago. O’Sullivan Beare’s forces in 1603 as they fled 5.5 From the summit of Red Hill there is a northwards to Leitrim. Originally there was a viewpoint into seven counties; anti-clockwise Accommodation Doctor The Beara-Breifne Way interlinks a series of local ways. The local route here is stone tower on the higher level (motte). from the west these are: the Meelick Hills along the Multeen Way, which follows the path of O’Sullivan Beare northwards from Post Office Food the River Shannon in County Clare; the Paps of Tipperary Town. It stretches across some of the most unspoilt rural areas in South 2.2 Shandangan Fens were formed in County Kerry; the Ballyhoura Hills of counties Tipperary, taking in two extremes of landscape: the fertile lowland plains of the Golden Vale Pharmacy Banking steep-sided hollows, known as kettle-holes, Limerick and Cork; the Galtee Mountains of around Tipperary Town and wilder uplands with panoramic views extending across seven counties from the created by pockets of ice left among loose County Tipperary; the Comeragh Mountains of You are here material deposited by the retreating glaciers County Waterford; and the Kinnety Hills and Red Hills. Much of this route is off-road and crosses beautiful landscape, providing a unique opportunity to approximately 10,000 years ago. Poorly drained, Slieve Blooms of County Offaly. appreciate the wildlife of this part of the county. and so suitable for wetland plants, the waterlogged soil means that dead plant material 6.6 In the distant past, much of this area The Beara-Breifne and Multeen Ways follow off-road tracks and quiet back roads. However, traffic has increased DON’T FORGET does not rot, but instead builds up to form fen would have been covered with oak woodland. in recent years and walkers and cyclists are asked to take care, particularly on the busy roads entering and to collect your peat over thousands of years. If undisturbed, this Pockets of semi-natural woodland are still visible leaving towns and villages. Both routes cross both public and private lands and dogs are not permitted on Multeen Way Stamps can lead to the formation of raised bog. Many at Inchinsquillib to the east of the cycle route, either. Access to private lands is by kind permission of local landowners, arranged by the local community, and WHICH CAN BE FOUND ALONG kettle-holes and fens have been drained or filled and these give some idea of what the vegetation especial thanks are extended to both landowners and community groups for their assistance in making this THE ROUTE in, so these are interesting and unusual habitats.

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